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UK Particle Physics Outreach Summary Prepared for IPPOG Meeting at Fermilab April 2013

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UK Particle Physics Outreach Summary Prepared for IPPOG Meeting at Fermilab April 2013 UK Particle Physics Outreach Summary prepared for IPPOG meeting at Fermilab April 2013 I have prepared a brief summary of the huge range of Outreach activities carried out by staff and research students from UK Particle Physics groups with the support of the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC). I received input from many Particle Physics(PP) groups whilst preparing this report. I would like to emphasise that it is only possible for PP groups to successfully engage in such a large number of activities for this wide range of audiences because many staff and students support these activities. Some of the media activities reach very large audiences. There are also a number of innovative and experimental outreach activities that are aiming to reach an even broader audience. Many groups stress that the organisation of so many school-linked events is only possible with the active involvement of a part-time or full-time schools liaison post. The second part of this UK report is prepared by Robin Clegg and Neville Hollingworth from STFC and briefly describes their activities and plans. Activities mainly for students include Masterclasses typically for 100-200 students over 1-2 days at a University Mini-Masterclasses typically 20 students at a University or school Spark Chamber and Cosmic Ray demos, measurements and talks in schools Liaison work to help school prepare for CERN visit School talks including some to very large audiences Wider access events for younger children, disadvantaged students …… Big Bang fair - Annual national event with attendance of 65000 over four days (primarily aimed at younger students 7-19 years) plus large number of smaller regional events. Includes competitions of science projects for various age groups Activities mainly for teachers Cloud Chamber Workshops Teacher Update Courses of various types Association for Science Education annual meeting including outreach workshops Activities aimed at general public Lectures , Café Scientifiques, Astronomy clubs , Stargazing events Wide range of Science Festivals Museum and Royal Society Exhibitions TV, radio, newspapers Social media Apps for phones/ipads (eg LHSee and The Particles) Websites including PP outreach material (eg sixty symbols) Events and websites linking particle physics/quantum mechanics/relativity to music, dance or art Summary Several specific examples of events and web sites are included in the IPPOG panel discussions and other sessions of the April meeting. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- IPPOG Meeting April 2013 - STFC Swindon Office Public Engagement: CERN@school (Cosmic Rays for Schools)- STFC have funded a project Technical Manager and have funded SEPNET to provide overall project management. The Steering Group which includes teachers and a PP researcher have considered the ToR, project plan, marketing to schools, and how best to maximise take-up by schools. Five MediPix chips will fly on the 2013 TechDemoSat-1 mission in late 2013, and ca40 chips are available for ground-based work. The Institute of Physics will support rollout through all their Network Co-Ordinators. This is a flagship project for STFC, and the STFC CEO will visit the Lead school on the 17 th July 2013 Science Museum LHC Exhibit- STFC have helped to fund this. The exhibit is due to open in November 2013. Big Bang Excel Centre London 14-17 March 2013- There was a strong physics presence at the Big Bang Fair this year with the STFC ‘LHC on Tour’ interactive exhibit which proved highly popular. The stand also included the CERN@School project, CERN literature, a visit CERN postcard as well as details on UK PP Masterclasses, teacher CPD etc. A leaflet on how to make a Particle Accelerator in a Salad bowl was well received by teachers. Cosmic Ray Centenary - STFC produced a popular colour Broadsheet on Cosmic Rays via a consortium led by Paula Chadwick (Durham). The broadsheet has widely distributed to partners (IoP and others) at the ASE in January 2013 and at the Big Bang in March 2013. Teacher CPD- STFC funded two Teacher CPD visits to CERN, arranged by the National Science Learning Centre in York. The courses took place on in December 2012 and February 2013, with 80 teachers in total attending. A follow-up workshop for both courses will take place in York on the 21 May 2013 Partnership Project with UK Science Centres- STFC have set up a partnership with the UK Association for Science and Discovery Centres (ASDC) called Explore Your Universe: Atoms to Astrophysics. The vision of the project is to inspire a new sense of excitement about the physical sciences, among young people and their families. STFC want to encourage strong links between the frontlines of innovation and research and science centres; this included one day training academies for STFC-funded scientists and engineers around communication and public engagement. These training events were well attended by Particle Physics researchers. To help achieve the above, STFC have just equipped 10 ASDC member centres with equipment, training and other resources, so that they can deliver inspiring schools workshops, family shows and more, all based around physics, including a cloud chamber and particle accelerator which has generated considerable interest from teachers and students alike. PP Outreach Manager - STFC are in the process of recruiting a new PP/NP outreach officer to be contracted half time 2.5- 4 days per week. Key duties will include: • Encouraging, stimulating and supporting outreach and publicity activity by HEPP researchers. • Supporting and advise on outreach on outreach in connection with scientific meetings and other events from national to local level • Working closely with STFC laboratory Public Engagement, Communications and Outreach Managers. • Helping to develop and enhance the UK Particle Physics Masterclass programme. • The outreach manager will also have a strategic role in developing the expanded CERN@School project. The role also includes working more closely with CERN and their education/outreach programme. New STFC Web Site - The STFC web site is in the process of a major upgrade to make it more user friendly with a focus on external audiences. The Particle Physics.ac.uk web site which has lists of current PP masterclasses and PP speakers for schools will be fully integrated into the new STFC site. Public Engagement Funding Schemes 2012 B Small Award s Dr David Berman. Queen Mary University of London. The Higgs and Beyond: exploring particle physics today - and in the future. This project will develop a substantial package of public and schools engagement material (aimed principally at A-level and GCSE students and their teachers), based on STFC-funded research into particle physics. It aims to harness the current excitement in particle physics generated by the discovery of the Higgs Boson. Ms Liz Mermin. Crow Hill Films Ltd. Minds over Matter: CERN People films. This project, CERN People is a series of short films (eight x 3 minute internet films, for which the primary viewing venues will be the YouTube channel, CERN People, and CERN People Google+ page) that go behind the headlines of two huge breakthroughs in particle physics which took place this year. Filming at CERN has taken place throughout 2012. Large Awards 2012 Dr Alan Barr. University of Oxford Outreach and educational applications for LHC science This project provides educational and outreach mobile-device applications suitable for the general public, with a particular focus on young people in the age range 11-18. It builds on the success of the prototype and will be expanded from android to iphone operating platforms. Dr Janet Sumner. Open University : 60 -second adventures in thought: astronomy, planetary sciences and particle accelerators - see: http://www.open.edu/openlearn/science-maths- technology/science/physics-and-astronomy/astronomy/60-second-adventures-astronomy-large- hadron-collider Some useful web links: For CERN @school [email protected] http://www.thelangtonstarcentre.org/index.php/cernschool STFC-ASDC Partnership www.sciencecentres.org.uk/projects/explore .
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